DAVAO CITY, Philippines -This school opening marks the second year of the phasing in of the MATATAG K-10 curriculum, but teachers are still adjusting and learning along the start of this school year.
The MATATAG curriculum was rolled out last June for Grades 2, 5 and 8 after its pilot implementation in Grades 1, 4 and 7 last school year.
The program was introduced during the tenure of Vice President Sara Duterte as education secretary, which takes away overloaded subjects and overlapping competencies that once burdened learners and teachers in K-12.
In its place is a leaner, streamlined curriculum, reducing the original seven subjects into five key areas, that is meant to strengthen foundational skills, particularly literacy and numeracy, while gradually introducing life skills, critical thinking, and values formation.
Yet this vision, as inspiring as it sounds, comes with growing pains.
“It’s the adjustment that makes it a burden, especially since there are new subjects that are not within our scope and specialization, and we need to learn first,” Janice said, a Grade 7 teacher at Davao City National High School.
Teachers had to navigate unfamiliar guides and adjust to the subjects planned to be taught under the curriculum to ensure they had the knowledge to be imparted. “We are also only given a one-week seminar, and we don’t have any resources at that time,” Carla said, a Grade 7 teacher in the same institution.
“Until now, Grade 8 teachers are still having ongoing training and we are hoping that this will road out to all of the teachers,” said Rey Pardillo, a teacher from Santa Ana Elementary School and chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Davao.
ACT since last year has called for the scrapping of MATATAG and its experimenting on the curriculum.
“The MATATAG curriculum is being imposed upon us without evidence-based learning assessments, appropriate consultation, adequate resources, and sufficient training,” stated Vladimer Quetua, chairperson of ACT, in a statement last year.
Consultations conducted by ACT with educators identified challenges in incorporating the National Reading Program and National Mathematics Program into the MATATAG curriculum, compelling class advisers and non-mathematics instructors to teach subjects outside their areas of proficiency.
ACT also pointed out that teachers are overloaded with subjects while class hours have been extended.
They contend that this degrades the quality of training and hinders objectives for learning recovery. Hence, educators also indicated insufficient training for the new curriculum, notwithstanding directives to comply with MATATAG time allocations in class schedules.
But Janice and Clara have found relief and renewed focus under the MATATAG curriculum, saying that the streamlined content and clearer learning competencies have made teaching more manageable, not more difficult, and overworked.
“We are no longer overworked because lessons are compressed and Digital IMS are provided as well. Also, the exemplars align with 21st-century learning, and children’s performance is attainable”. Janice said.
“Actually, we already have a budget of work, so we already have the guide on what we are going to teach because our admin’s tasks are lessened,” said Sophia, a Grade 10 teacher from the same institution.
The MATATAG curriculum is an acronym that spells out in both English and Filipino its features:
MAkabagong curriculum na napapanahon, TAlino na mula sa isip at puso, TApang na humarap sa anumang hamon sa buhay, Galing ng Pilipino nangingibabaw sa mundo
MAke the curriculum relevant to produce competent and job-ready, active, and responsible citizens, TAke steps to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and services, TAke good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive education, and a positive learning environment and Give support to teachers to teach better.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said that the MATATAG Curriculum will remain in place, and will be modified according to the experiences and observations of teachers and students.
“Meaning, we are willing to change as we go along, as we learn from the experience of actual — on the ground, and then we get feedback from our teachers saka ‘yung estudyante, ano ang kailangang baguhin, anong pwedeng pagandahin (and also from the students, what needs to be changed and improved),” he said.(davaotoday.com)
